The support member relates generally to mine surface control, and more particularly to a mine roof and rib support with a roof support arm and a rib support arm which simultaneously support the mine roof and mine rib.
Mine roof and rib supports are commonly used in underground mining, excavating, and tunneling operations to support and control the overhead and lateral rock strata. In one conventional mine surface control system, a series of bore holes can be drilled into the mine roof or rib, a mine roof bolt can be installed in the bore hole, a channel, bearing plate, or mat can be positioned between the end of the mine roof bolt and the mine roof or rib, and the mine roof bolt can anchored in the bore hole and tensioned such that the mine roof bolt and channel, bearing plate, or mat exert a compressive force upon the mine roof and rib to prevent deterioration of the overhead and lateral rock strata.
Some examples of mine roof and rib support systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,405 to Galis entitled “Mine Roof Truss Assembly and Associated Method”, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,385,433, 5,292,209, and RE 35,902 to Calandra, Jr. et al. entitled “Bearing Plate,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,348 to Seegmiller entitled “Truss Systems, Components, and Methods for Trussing Arched Mine Roofs,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,266 to Seegmiller entitled “Structure and Method for Deterring Cutter Roof Failure,” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,974 to Sherman entitled “Roof Support System for a Mine and Method for Providing the Same.”